Blue Moon Beer Smoked Chicken
SmokedBBQSource is supported by its readers. We may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you if you buy through a link on this page. Learn more.
Who doesn’t love an easy recipe for juicy, flavorful chicken with crispy skin?
During busy weeks when there just aren’t enough hours in the day, this is my go-to recipe. It’s quick, easy, and perfect for the family.
Blue Moon Smoked Chicken
Ingredients you’ll need
- Chicken – whole, not pieces.
- Garlic
- Jalapeños
- Onions: I prefer to use a white onion for this recipe. White onions have a slightly sweeter flavor and pair perfectly with the roasted jalapeño.
- Fresh herbs – parsley and cilantro.
- Lime
- Beer – I use Blue Moon beer, hence the recipe name. Corona works well, also.
- Olive oil
- Seasonings – Kosher salt, black pepper, and Meat Hammer all purpose rub. Substitute it with your favorite all-purpose rub.
Equipment you’ll need
- Weber Original Kettle – I love to use my
Weber ; however, this recipe is also fantastic on a pellet grill, propane grill, or even in your oven. - Charcoal briquettes – I used Cowboy Charcoal Hardwood Briquettes. It imparts a hint of smokiness to the chicken while allowing the intended flavors to shine through.
- Knife – or poultry shears. The shears come into play for my absolute favorite way to prepare chicken: spatchcock it. This means you remove the backbone and flatten the breasts. I find using shears is easier for cutting through bone.
- Cutting board: You’ll need two cutting boards! One for the chicken and one for slicing your veggies.
- Large cast iron skillet – or deep sheet pan.
- Aluminum foil
- Heat protecting gloves
- Instant read thermometer
How to make Blue Moon Smoked Chicken
1. Fire up the smoker
While I prefer to use the Weber for this recipe, you can honestly cook on anything that reaches 400°F.
I used Cowboy charcoal briquettes. They give the chicken a hint of smokiness without overpowering the intended flavors.
2. Prep
Slice the onion, smash the garlic, and then toss both into the cast iron.
Cut the jalapeños in half and toss them into the cast iron. I remove the seeds from the jalapeños depending on who I am cooking for. Removing the seeds produces a milder flavor, whereas leaving the seeds will keep the spice.
Slice the lime thinly and toss it into the cast iron along with the bundles of cilantro and parsley.
3. The chicken
When it comes to cooking a whole chicken, my favorite method is spatchcocking it. This method is also called butterflying.
It’s great because it cuts down on the cooking time and ensures even cooking throughout the bird.
If you have never spatchcocked a chicken before, it might seem a little intimidating. However, once you see how easy it is, you will be asking yourself why you waited so long to give it a try.
To spatchcock a chicken:
- Place the whole chicken breast side down on a clean chopping board. A butcher block with crevices to catch the juice works well.
- Start at the neck end and use a sharp boning knife or poultry shears to cut along both sides of the backbone towards the legs.
- You will need to use a little bit of force to cut through the rib bones. Feel with the knife, and you should be able to slice smoothly.
- Trim any excess fat or skin from around the leg end of the chicken
- Flip the chicken over and press down firmly with the palms of your hand so that the meat is flat and spread out. You should hear a crack.
Be extremely careful handling the chicken, as the tiny bones around the backbone can be razor sharp.
Once you’ve flattened the bird, transfer it to the cast iron pan with all the prepped ingredients, and drizzle with olive oil and season. For this recipe, I season with Meathammer All-purpose rub, but you could use our homemade poultry rub.
Lastly, pour the Blue Moon beer around the chicken.
4. Smoke it
Before placing the chicken into the smoker, I like to cover it with foil until it reaches an internal temperature of about 120°F. By keeping the chicken covered for half the cook it helps lock in the moisture.
Once the internal temperature is 120°F, remove the foil for the purposes of crisping up the skin until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
Remove from the grill and let rest for about 5 minutes.
Once rested, carve and serve immediately.
Blue Moon Smoked Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 lb chicken whole
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2 jalapeños
- 1 white onion
- 1 bunch parsley
- 1 bunch coriander
- 1 lime
- 1 bottle Blue Moon beer
- 2 tbsp All-purpose rub
- olive oil for drizzling
Instructions
- Fire up the smoker to 400°F.
- Slice the onion, smash the garlic, cut the jalapeños in half, slice the lime, and toss all the ingredients into the cast iron.
- Place the herbs on top.
- Spatchcock your chicken: Cut down both sides of the backbone with a sharp knife or kitchen shears. Flip the chicken over and press down on the middle of the breasts to break the bone. Transfer to the cast iron.
- Once everything is in one pan, lightly drizzle olive oil over the chicken and season. Then pour the beer around it.
- Cover the chicken with foil and transfer to the grill.
- Keep the chicken covered until it hits an internal temp of about 120°F, then remove the foil and continue to cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Let rest for about 5 minutes and serve!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation only. If you’re worried you could always add a side of kale.
Get Your FREE Digital Barbecue Cookbook
Packed with our most popular recipes including brisket, pulled pork, ribs and more!
Read ad-free on your phone, tablet or print out and spill BBQ sauce on them.
